20/05/2026
Delegation Led by Mayor Adanech Abebe Visits Integrated Urban Development Project in Azerbaijan
A delegation led by the Mayor of the Addis Ababa City Administration, Adanech Abebe, which traveled to Azerbaijan, visited the integrated urban development project (**Sea Breeze Project**) located on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Alongside the rapid growth Azerbaijan is currently registering, the country is actively strengthening its urban redevelopment efforts. It is following a strategy of revitalizing old neighborhoods through renewal, as well as identifying and developing previously underutilized lands.
During the visit, it was observed that under the "Sea Breeze Project," 50,000 residential houses, hotels, and related development works scheduled to be completed within 16 years are being extensively constructed, with the private sector highly engaged in partnership with the government.
Taking this experience from Azerbaijan as a benchmark, it was stated that Addis Ababa is also working with high momentum under a plan to construct 100,000 housing units and related developments annually.
> **Key Focus Areas in Addis Ababa:**
> The City Administration is currently executing works to transform and renew old and dilapidated areas. Furthermore, by utilizing previously under-developed locations such as the **Chaka Project, Gelan-Gura, Mohammadya Village, and Addis Tomorrow**, efforts are underway to create comfortable development and residential areas on par with building a brand-new city.
>
It was highlighted that this large-scale housing development and urban renewal movement primarily aims to alleviate the housing shortage and transform the capital into a prime tourism destination. Moving forward, efforts will be intensified with superior commitment and development excellence to make Addis Ababa true to its name (meaning *"New Flower"*) and to ensure its position at the forefront of global competitiveness.